I'll Protect You
by AnimeGeek7
Summary: Lucy, Natsu, and Happy have to go on a quest to seek out a dark guild. But what happens along the way was never expected...
1. Quest

Quest

**Lucy groaned and rolled over on her side. She stretched her arm out, reaching for her phone when she felt a soft material with tassels at the end. Like a scarf… She bolted upright and clutched the mattress of her bed in anger. "What the hell are you doing in _my bed!"_ she screamed at Natsu who was lazily rubbing his eyes. **

**"Morning, Lucy." He said, followed by a loud yawn. He stretched his arms out, nearly punching her in the face. **

**Lucy gritted her teeth. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing in my bed?" she repeated, crossing her arms over her chest.**

**"What's the big deal? I always come here."**

**She sighed. "Yes, I know. But… why?"**

**Natsu grinned. "You have a soft bed. And, when you're not scary like you are now, you're a really nice person."**

**At this, Lucy blushed. "Um…" She started, but was suddenly cut off by a familiar voice.**

**"He liiiiikes her." Happy chimed.**

**Lucy snapped her head up. "You were here too!" she yelled, eyes wide.**

**"Aye!"**

**Lucy looked thoughtful for a moment, then answered in a much softer tone. "Oh yeah, you two never go anywhere without each other…"**

**"Of course not. I'm Natsu's best friend!" Happy said, cheerfully. "But, he really likes you too, Lucy." He added.**

**Again, Lucy's cheeks turned warmer. "Well, I'm going to get ready, so you're gonna have to leave." She said, sliding out of her bed. She heard the door close as Natsu and Happy left her house. **

**She got into the bathtub and made the water warmer and warmer until there was steam coming up from it. She blushed once more, thinking about the conversation she had with Natsu and Happy. **

**"What's with them?" she whispered to herself. "Damn it…"**

**a.a.a.**

**Later that day, Lucy walked through the guild doors, sitting in her usual spot next to Natsu and Happy. She noticed that Gray and Erza weren't there. "Where are Erza and Gray?" Lucy asked as she took a seat across from Natsu.**

**Natsu crossed his arms and pouted like a little kid. "They went on a job. They went and didn't take us." He said grumpily.**

**Lucy couldn't help but smile. He was such a child.**

**"Stop pouting, Natsu." A voice from behind them said. She turned around to see Master Makarov with a slip of paper in his hands. "There is a job, no, a quest that I need you to go on. It requires a powerful wizard, and so I chose you."**

**Natsu's face immediately lit up with a smile. "Seriously, Gramps? I get to go on a job? I haven't fought in days and I was getting bored."**

**"Yes. However, you can't just go alone. That would be too dangerous. You can take Happy, but choose one more person to go with you." Master answered.**

**Natsu turned to Lucy with a grin. "Up for a job, Lucy?"**

**She looked at him then turned around to face Makarov. "Depends. What type of job?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.**

**"A quest to find out where a dark guild is. We're not asking you to defeat them. Just find out where their headquarters is. It will require some spying." Makarov replied, slightly smiling as he said the last sentence.**

**Natsu jumped up. " Spying? Cool! We could be like ninjas!"**

**"Aye!"**

**Lucy groaned. "Like ninjas? This is Everlue mansion all over again…"**

**Suddenly, Natsu was serious. "Which dark guild is it?" he asked.**

**Makarov looked at them. "It's called 'Azerath'. They don't have very many people, but they're very powerful."**

**Lucy gulped.**

**Natsu mashed his fists together with a devious smile on his face. "Even better. I'm all fired up!"**


	2. Plan

2. Plan

**"Of course we have to have a plan!" Lucy said for the third time. She lowered her head onto the table in defeat.**

**"When do we ever have a plan? My plan is to not have a plan." Natsu argued back.**

**Lucy kept her head on the table, but turned it a little to look at him. "That makes no sense…"**

**"Natsu never makes sense." Happy said with a laugh.**

**Lucy laughed too. "All I'm saying is that we should have some sort of plan and even a backup plan just in case. Anyway, it's getting late. I'm gonna go home."**

**She got up and started walking towards the door. Natsu ran after her. "Can Happy and I come?"**

**"No."**

**"Why not?"**

**Lucy sighed. Did Natsu even have a house of his own?**

**Once she got outside, she started walking along the edge of the river like she always did. When she walked through the door of her house, she heard the faint sound of water running. **

**Lucy cocked her head to one side with a confused expression. "Huh? Did I leave the bathtub water on?" **

**She slowly crept toward the bathroom and listened through the door. The water was definitely on. She gasped as she came to another realization. Was someone in her house?**

**"Okay, Lucy. You can fight. You're strong too, right?" she whispered to herself as she took out her celestial keys. **

**She opened the door and grabbed the key of Aquarius. Bathtubs had water in them, so she could use that key.**

**"Who's there?" she shouted. _"Ahhh!" _**

**"Hey! Welcome back."**

**"Aye!"**

**Lucy gritted her teeth. "Natsu…" she said, balling her hand up into a fist. **

**Natsu and Happy were lying in the steaming bathtub with towels on them. "And why are you wearing towels in the _bathtub?"_**

**"You do that too, Lucy." Happy said.**

**_"How would you know?" _Lucy screamed. **

**All of a sudden, Natsu got up and walked toward the door. "Well, Happy, we better get situated for the night."**

**Lucy looked at him. "Wait, you're spending the night? Who said you could do that?"**

**"It was Gray's idea." Happy said from behind her. "Natsu doesn't have a house."**

**"Then where do you sleep?"**

**Natsu grinned. "Outside. We have a little shack, though."**

**Lucy sighed. "Well, fine, I guess you can spend the night. But you are _not _sleeping in my bed."**

**Natsu and Happy pouted. "Fine."**

**a.a.a.**

**"Lucy, wake up. Lucy... get up, lazy. Sheesh, Happy, she can't even hear me."**

**"Maybe we should pour hot water on her face. I heard that works."**

**Lucy groaned. "Don't pour water on my face, idiots." She mumbled, still half asleep.**

**Happy's eyes widened in surprise. "She could hear us?"**

**"I guess so… but she doesn't seem to be very awake." Natsu commented.**

**"Uh, I tried to sleep in, but I guess that's not possible with you guys." Lucy said, sitting up.**

**Natsu looked confused. "You did sleep in. Do you know how late it is?"**

**Lucy looked at her clock. "Natsu, it's 6 a.m."**

**"Oh."**

**"If you want to do something, go make breakfast. Otherwise, you can leave." Lucy said, putting on her robe.**

**Happy burst out into laughter. "Good one, Lucy! We all know Natsu can't cook!"**

**"I can too cook!"**

**All of a sudden, there was knocking on the door. Lucy opened it and Makarov was there, looking worried. "Master? What are you doing here?" **

**He let out a heavy sigh, and then looked up at Lucy and Natsu. "There's been a change of plans about the Azerath guild quest. They're plotting something that could destroy everything. We need you to go on the quest today, by noon."**


	3. Journey

3. journey

**"I'm hungry… can we get something to eat?"**

**"Aye…but, Lucy won't let us. She's so mean!"**

**Lucy sighed. "I'm not letting you because we just had breakfast. We have to hurry because Master wants us there by noon. It would be faster if we could take the train, but Natsu doesn't want to." She said, glaring at Natsu.**

**"Ah! We are _not_ going on that death machine no matter what! I'll die!" Natsu shouted.**

**"I think you're being a bit dramatic." Lucy said, crossing her arms. "And, besides, it's not like we're going on the train. We're already past Magnolia Station. It just takes so long on foot."**

**All of a sudden, Natsu stopped and looked up. His mouth opened like he was about to say something, but nothing came out. "Natsu," Happy said, looking worried. "What's wrong?"**

**Lucy looked straight ahead and gasped. "What _is _that?" She whispered in shock.**

**Ahead of them was a huge building that was several stories high. It was painted black and had a big sign with a skull that said 'Azerath'. Outside the building, there were bodies that were drained and lifeless. **

**"T-this must be their headquarters…" Happy said.**

**Lucy took one step back staggering in fear. "What's with all the bodies? They… killed all these people?"**

**Natsu's eyes narrowed in anger. "I don't know who these Azerath guys are, but I don't like them. Let's go."**

**Lucy, Natsu, and Happy slowly walked forward toward the big building. Once they got near the bodies, they gasped.**

**Natsu looked at them. "These were… wizards from Blue Pegasus? They have the marking."**

**Lucy gasped. "No…"**

**"These guys are really that powerful and heartless? What did Blue Pegasus ever do to them?" Happy said in anger.**

**Natsu's fist lit up with fire. "Those bastards…"**

**Lucy grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back. "Natsu, no. Master told us not to fight."**

**Natsu gritted his teeth, but nodded once. "Yeah. Let's just go in there to see what it's like. That way, we could get more information."**

**Happy nodded. "I agree. Master will be happy to get any information he can get. After all, he did say this required spying."**

**Lucy sighed. "Well, I guess we have no other choice. Let's go."**

**The three of them walked to the door and slowly pulled it open. No one was in the room and the lights were off. "That's weird. No one's in this room." Lucy said, turning her head from side to side.**

**"Well, there's other rooms," Natsu pointed out. "It's a huge place." **

**They stepped through the door and closed it quietly behind them. "Shhh," Lucy whispered. "We have to be completely quiet."**

**They crept carefully across the room, sliding along the wall. All of a sudden, there was a loud explosion that sent Lucy, Natsu, and Happy to the floor. A man with spiky black hair appeared in the room and smiled evilly.**

**"Thought you could get past us, you little brats?" he said in a gravelly voice.**

**Natsu narrowed his eyes. "Damn it. They found us."**

**The man laughed. "Found you? We knew you were here all along… you damned Fairy Tail wizards."**

**Natsu jumped to his feet and lit his fist up with fire. "We're not gonna let you guys hurt any more innocent guilds. And we won't let you tarnish Fairy Tail's name! We _will _defeat you!" he shouted as he lunged toward the man with a fiery fist.**

**"What do we do?" Lucy whispered to herself. "Can we really defeat these guys? Master told us not to fight…"**

**The man fell back and sprung himself up. "I see… you're the salamander of Fairy Tail. Natsu, isn't it? My name is Gorou. I have the power to make anything explode, including you. There's no way you'll beat me!" Gorou said as he plunged his fist to the wall and made it explode.**

**Lucy started to fall and Happy grabbed her and pulled her up. He extended his wings and flew up to the ceiling. "Thanks, Happy." Lucy said and looked down at Natsu, who did another attack on Gorou. **

**Natsu looked up. "Lucy, get out of here. Look in some other rooms to investigate."**

**"Natsu… are you going to be okay?" **

**Natsu did one stiff nod. "I'll defeat this guy. I swear it on the name of my guild!"**

**Lucy nodded understandingly and Happy flew her to the next room. Once they got there, Happy set her down and started walking beside her. **

**"I hope Natsu will be alright." Lucy said, looking worried.**

**Happy looked up at her. "He will. Because he's a Fairy Tail wizard!"**


	4. Azerath

4. azerath

**Happy looked around. "Is it just me, or does this place really creep you out?"**

**Lucy nodded and shuddered. "It's even scarier on the inside... I don't understand this place. Where is everyone?"**

**"Maybe they knew we were coming, so they're hiding."**

**"That could be." Lucy agreed. "And maybe they'll come out and do surprise attacks."**

**Happy looked down. "Well, we can fight. Natsu may be stronger than us, but we defeated Bickslow on our own."**

**Lucy smiled. "We can. I know we can!"**

**a.a.a.**

**Natsu slammed the last punch toward Gorou who collapsed on the floor. "I… lost?" Gorou panted, eyes wide. "That's impossible."**

**Natsu took two deep breaths. "I told you I would defeat you." He staggered, and then fell to the floor. "Damn, I'm out of magic power."**

**A few minutes passed and Natsu struggled to his feet. "I better go meet up with Lucy and Happy." He said as he walked into the next room.**

**"Natsu!" Lucy cried as soon as she saw him. "Thank goodness you're okay!"**

**Natsu half-smiled. "Lu…cy…" he managed to get out before he started to fall to the floor.**

**Lucy ran over to him and caught him up in her arms. "Natsu, hang in there. I'm just so happy you won! I knew you could do it." **

**Natsu grabbed Lucy's shoulder and pulled away from her so he could look at her face. He smiled a wide grin. "I swore I would win, so I did."**

**Lucy smiled too, and laughed. "Maybe I should try that sometime."**

**Happy cleared his throat. "How long is this little lovey-dovey moment going to last? We're on a job, here."**

**"We _are not _lovey-dovey!"**

**"Sure you aren't." **

**a.a.a.**

**A few minutes of searching passed, when suddenly, they heard voices. "There's someone talking in the next room." Lucy said, pointing in the direction where the voices were coming from. **

**They all walked to the door and listened in. **

**"I'm telling you, they're stronger than they look." "And _I'm _telling _you _that we can take them." "Jiro, I'm not saying that we can't take them… I'm just saying that they're strong." They heard, then silence.**

**Lucy cocked her head to one side in confusion. "Where did they go?" she mouthed to Natsu.**

**Natsu shrugged his shoulders. **

**_Bang!_**

**The door burst open and two burley men stood in the doorway. Lucy watched in shock as the door shattered into pieces.**

**"Huh," the bigger man grunted with a smirk. "So they were listening after all…"**

**Natsu straightened up. "Lucy, stand back. I'll handle them."**

**Lucy bit down on her lower lip. "No."**

**Natsu's eyes widened. "But, they might-"**

**"Natsu, you can barely stand!" Lucy said, turning toward him. "I'm always being saved by you… you're always fighting for me. For everyone. Now it's my turn to save you." **

**"Lucy…"**

**Happy took hold of Natsu and flew him upwards. "Natsu, Lucy can handle it." He said.**

**Natsu looked down at Lucy. "I know she can. But I'm still worried. If something were to happen to her…" he flinched at the thought. "Lucy." He called down to her. "Promise you'll come back to me!" And then he was gone.**

**Happy had flown him to the next room. Lucy grabbed her keys and stepped closer to them. "Why did you kill all those people from Blue Pegasus? What is your goal?" **

**The bigger man chuckled. "None of your business, Barbie. Now step out of the way. I don't have time for weaklings."**

**Lucy gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "Never underestimate a Fairy Tail wizard!" she shouted. "Open gate of the lion: Leo!"**

**Leo came out and smiled. "It's been a while, Lucy." **

**The two men started whispering to each other and Lucy couldn't make out what they were saying. Suddenly, the smaller one ran out of the room. **

**"What's going on here? Where is he going?" Lucy asked, whipping her head from side to side.**

**The bigger man, Jiro, smirked. "I told you, it's none of your business. But, let's just get this over with."**

**Leo narrowed his eyes. "How dare you talk to my Lucy that way." He lunged forward and started fighting Jiro. **

**"What's this guy's power?" Lucy asked herself as she watched closely to the fight.**

**Leo, suddenly, was thrown against the wall. "Leo!" Lucy screamed as she ran over to him. **

**"Lucy… I truly am sorry." He said and disappeared. Lucy looked up at Jiro who still had that smirk on his face. **

**"So," he said. "Are we going to just let the fun end here?" **

**Lucy stood up and grabbed a key and her whip. "Open gate of the Maiden: Virgo!"**

**Virgo came out and bowed. "Time for punishment, princess?"**

**Lucy sighed. "I just need to beat this guy… I don't even know his power." **

**Virgo nodded. "Understood." She went underground and popped back up behind Jiro. **

**Jiro clapped his hands together. "Dark chain!" he yelled as two medal chains came out of the ground and wrapped around Virgo. **

**Lucy gasped. So that was part of his magic? What else could he do?**

**Virgo looked at Jiro. "Sorry for the disappointment, but that technique will not work on me." She said as two boulders came up from the ground and cut off the chains.**

**Lucy smiled in amazement. "Way to go, Virgo!" **

**All of a sudden, Jiro jumped down and aimed his attack at Lucy. "Every celestial wizard's weakness," he explained. "Is that they themselves aren't very good fighters." **

**Lucy fell back, but pushed herself back up. "Sorry," she said. "But you're wrong. Take a rest, Virgo." She said and Virgo disappeared. **

**Jiro arched a brow in confusion. "Hm? I've never heard of a Barbie that can fight."**

**"Then you'll be in for a treat." Lucy said as she took out her whip. "I'll show you the true power of a Fairy Tail wizard!"**


	5. Battle

5. battle

**"Happy, do you think Lucy will be okay? Should we go back?" **

**"You've asked that at least six times already, Natsu." **

**Natsu sighed. "I just can't sit here and do nothing while..." he trailed off.**

**"While Lucy is risking her life." Happy completed.**

**Natsu nodded. "Yeah. And all for me."**

**"She was right, though. You're always saving everyone. I can't blame her for wanting to save you in return. Besides, look at the condition you're in. You couldn't have fought anyway."**

**"Yes I could have!"**

**"Natsu, don't lie to yourself. You definitely couldn't have."**

**"I'll prove you wrong! I'm all fired up!"**

**a.a.a.**

**"Ha! So _that's_ your weakness!" Lucy cried as she dodged his attack. "Your magic gets weaker if the opponent isn't using magic."**

**Jiro grunted. "So? I can still fight. I'm still better than you. And I'm especially still going to _win!"_ He put his palms out. "Darkness magic: Gravity explosion!"**

**A whirl of dark red magic energy came up from the ground. Lucy gasped and stepped back. "What is this?" she whispered.**

**All of a sudden, it stopped.**

**Nothing happened.**

**Jiro, eyes wide, collapsed to the floor. "What?" he gasped in a strained voice. "He's already here?"**

**Lucy walked slowly toward him, not really understanding what had happened. All she knew was that she… won. **

**A tiny smile slowly crept across her face. "Natsu was right. I swore I would win, so I did. It really worked…" She suddenly felt dizzy.**

**She grabbed the wall for support. "Whoa… I guess I used up more magic power than I thought." Lucy started walking out of the room to find Natsu and Happy. **

**When Natsu saw her entering the room, his face lit up in a wide grin. "Lucy!"**

**"Natsu, I won! You were right. All I had to do was swear I would win. I just can't believe I really did it."**

**"Well, I can." Natsu said, walking over to her. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for."**

**Happy smiled. "Lucy! See? I told you she could win!" He flew over to Lucy and landed on the floor beside her.**

**"Hopefully, we won't have too many more battles." Lucy said, rubbing her injured arm. "I'm exhausted and out of magic power."**

**Natsu nodded. "Me too. But, in this case, we don't have much of a choice. We got ourselves into this and there's no turning back now."**

**"Also, Master said there weren't very many people here. Just that they were strong. But these guys don't seem very strong…" Happy pointed out.**

**"That's true." Lucy agreed.**

**The three of them continued to look around. Lucy noticed that her clothes were in tatters. Her green tank top had a huge rip on the side.**

**At the same time she noticed, Virgo came out. "Princess," she said. "I have some new clothes for you."**

**Lucy smiled. "Good. Mine aren't in very good condition." All of a sudden, Lucy found herself in a blue dress outlined with gold and little gold bows on her arms. Her hair was tied up into pigtails. **

**Virgo took a bow. "I will now take my leave." She disappeared.**

**Lucy gasped. "Wonderful! It's so cute!" She whirled around to face Natsu and Happy. "What do you think?"**

**Natsu grinned. "You look pretty, as always."**

**Lucy blushed, but kept her smile. "I'm glad you like it." She said.**

**a.a.a.**

**"By the way, Natsu," Lucy said, "That guy I was fighting said something strange. He was about to do an attack on me, but then everything stopped. He fell to the ground and said 'he's already here.' Do you know what he meant?"**

**They continued walking down the dark tunnel and Natsu looked up, thinking. "I don't know. That's really weird, though."**

**Lucy nodded. "I wonder who he's talking about… What if it's someone really important and strong? What if-"**

**Natsu cut her off with a laugh. "Calm down, Lucy. Even if it is someone like that, you don't have to worry. I'll definitely protect you."**

**"Okay... I'll try to do the same for you." **

**Lucy thought she saw the tiniest bit of a blush on Natsu's cheeks, but she just shook her head. It was probably her imagination."**

**Suddenly, they heard footsteps from above them. Lucy stopped. "There's someone above us. I had forgotten this was a tunnel."**

**Happy nodded. "We have to be quiet and stay hidden. We're not really in any condition to fight."**

**The three of them pressed up against the tunnel wall. Lucy caught her breath and squeezed her eyes shut, fearing someone would suddenly crash down and start fighting them. **

**When the footsteps faded away, she took a deep breath and clutched her head in her hands. She was so dizzy and tired that for a second, she almost forgot how to move. Still clutching her head, Lucy moved forward but instead felt herself slowly falling. "Lucy!" she head a distant voice call, but all sound droned out and everything went black before she could respond.**

**a.a.a.**

**When Lucy opened her eyes, she felt soft and warm as if she were in her own bed at home. She turned her head and then realized that Natsu's arms were wrapped around her and she was in his lap.**

**She blushed and jumped quickly away, but then relaxed. Natsu was asleep. Lucy smiled, walking back over and reaching out toward his cheek. He was so cute while sleeping. **

**Happy was sleeping, too, right next to Natsu. He made small moaning sounds in his sleep as he turned his head from side to side. **

**Lucy suddenly yawned as she realized that she was still tired. What time was it? **

**She started to walk over to the wall and find a place to sleep, but she stumbled on something and fell forward. It took a few seconds to realize that she had fallen on top of Natsu, her face inches from his.**

**Her cheeks burned but she was too tired to make a big deal out of it. So she just rested her head against his chest and fell asleep.**


	6. Arrival

**6. Arrival **

** Natsu groaned and opened his eyes. Last night, he had fallen asleep in a sitting position with his back against a wall and lucy in his lap. Now, he was lying on his back and Lucy's head was on his chest, her hands grabbing his shoulders. He blushed. How had that happened?**

** At about the same time, Lucy opened her eyes and pushed herself upward, looking below her. Natsu was right under her, his eyes wide.**

** "Oh." Lucy croaked. "Uh, sorry…" she mumbled and rolled over on her side.**

** "Be careful!" Natsu yelled, grabbing her waist. They were at the edge of the tunnel and there was a deep hole right off the exit. **

** Natsu sighed in relief and pulled her up. "You scared me, Luce. You almost fell into that hole."**

** _Luce? _Since when did Natsu have a pet name for her? "Uh… thanks."**

**Natsu grinned and stood up, pulling Lucy up with him. "Well," he said. "We better get moving."**

** "Yeah." Lucy said, walking over to a sleeping Happy. "How do we get him up?"**

** "You can't seal my fish…" Happy mumbled in his sleep. Lucy couldn't help but giggle. **

** "Happy. Wake up." Natsu said, crouching down beside him.**

** Happy rolled over and faced Natsu. "Ugh, fine."**

** The three of them walked along the tunnel until they got to the edge again. **

** Lucy ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "So… how do we go on if there's a huge hole?"**

** Natsu nodded. "As I thought… we have to jump!"**

** Lucy looked over sternly. "This isn't some kind of game, stupid!"**

** "Lucy's scary…" Happy whispered to Natsu.**

** Natsu nodded. "I know."**

** "I can hear you!" Lucy shouted.**

** About ten seconds passed, none of them saying anything. "So how are we going to get to the other side?" Happy finally asked, breaking the silence.**

** Natsu brightened. "Why don't we have Happy fly us?" **

** Happy crossed his arms over his chest. "Natsu, sure, but no way can I carry Lucy."**

** Lucy narrowed her eyebrows. "You little…"**

** "Okay, okay, I'll try." Happy said, grabbing onto Lucy and Natsu. He extended his wings and started to fly. **

** Happy let out a grunt. "You guys are so heavy!"**

** "Gee, thanks." Lucy said sarcastically.**

** Happy's wings tilted o one side and his grip on Lucy loosened. "I'm gonna fall!" she yelled, eyes wide in fear.**

** "Lucy, grab onto my hand!" Natsu shouted, reaching for her. Lucy clutched his hand tightly just in time for Happy to let go completely. **

** She gasped and held onto Natsu's hand tighter. Happy gritted his teeth. "I can't hold onto both of you and fly at the same time!"**

** Lucy felt her grip on Natsu's hand slide. She tried grabbing on tighter, but it was too late. She was falling into the deep hole before she could do a thing.**

**a.a.a.**

** When Lucy opened her eyes, she was on a cold concrete floor. She didn't recognize the room, but it was small and dim candles were lighting it.**

** "Hey, she's awake." A voice whispered. Lucy looked around and saw a girl sitting against the wall. Wait. There was another. And another…**

** She realized that there were a lot of people against the wall and they had one single chain around their ankle.**

** "Uh… um," Lucy stammered. "Who are you?"**

** One of the men straightened his back and stared right at her. "We are from the guild 'Night Star'. Azerath saw us as a threat and captured us. They are planning on… blowng us up. Just like they did to members of 'Blue Pegasus'."**

** Lucy's eyes widened. "Now way." She covered her mouth in shock. "Why don't you fight against them?"**

** Another member shook her head sadly. "We can't use our powers because of these chains." She pointed at the chains on everyone's ankles.**

** Lucy suddenly stood up and balled up her fists. She gave one determined nod. "But I can. I'm not gonna let you die. I'll protect you!"**

**a.a.a.**

** "Lucy!" Natsu yelled as she fell down into the hole. Pretty soon, she was completely out of sight. **

** Happy had a worried look on his face. "I'll fly down there and we can get her." He grabbed onto Natsu tighter and plunged down deep into the hole. Suddenly, he stopped.**

** "Why'd you-" Natsu started to ask, but then he knew exactly why he'd stopped. There was concrete flooring with big letters that said "KEEP OUT". **

** Lucy was no where in sight. "This doesn't make sense." Happy said. "This is where the floor ends. If Lucy fell, she should be right here. But she's not… where is she?"**

** Natsu shook his head. "No. This isn't where the floor ends. There has to be something below his. Some sort of room. But it won't let us pass through."**

** Happy looked confused. "Then how did Lucy pass through?"**

** "I don't know. But… we have to find some way to get in."**

**a.a.a.**

** Lucy kept pacing around the room, planning for what she could do to save the people of 'Night Star'. Her power wasn't exactly strong enough to stop a huge bomb and she couldn't think of any celestial spirit to help her with that.**

** "Um… Miss?" She heard a voice say.**

** Lucy whipped around to face one of the members. "Yeah?"**

** "Well," the girl continued. "You have to hurry. He's almost here."**

** Lucy arched a brow in confusion. "He?" then she thought back to her fight with Jiro. He had collapsed to the floor and said something about a guy coming. Could this be the same person?**

** "He is the Master of Azerath. The one who's dropping the bomb. He's arriving any minute now." The girl said, her eyes filling up with tears.**

** "Oh… Well, how is he coming?" Lucy asked, a worried feeling coming over her body.**

** "He's coming from a plane. And he's dropping the bomb from above here." One of the men explained.**

** Lucy then realized something. Something that could help her fight against the bomb and save everyone. **

** She needed Natsu.**

** Suddenly, there was the sound of helicopter blades in the sky. The ceiling cracked and chips came off it. He was here. The Master of Azerath.**


	7. Explosion

**7. Explosion**

**Natsu looked up as he heard the droning of a helicopter. "Happy, what is that?" he asked, looking up at the ceiling. The whole room was shaking as if there was an earthquake.**

**"I don't know." Happy answered. "I just hope Lucy is okay…"**

**a.a.a.**

**Lucy covered her head with her arms and looked up. The ceiling was crashing down on them and huge slabs of concrete were falling from above. **

**There were screams and cries from the people from 'Night Star'. They were scared. They were going to die.**

**"Natsu…" Lucy whispered. "Hurry up and come!"**

**a.a.a.**

**Happy looked over at Natsu. "How are we going to get in?"**

**Natsu grunted. "We just have to try every way possible." **

**He started punching the floor with his fists lit up with fire. Chips came off. But it wasn't really doing any good."**

**"Natsu, I don't think that's working." Happy said.**

**"I know that! But… what else can I do?"**

**a.a.a.**

**Lucy grabbed her keys and quickly looked over them. If Natsu wasn't coming, she had to at least try to stop it. **

**"O-open gate of the maiden: Virgo!" She stammered, still trying to avoid the fast falling ceiling. **

**Virgo came out and took a bow.**

**"Virgo!" Lucy shouted frantically. "I need you to try to stop this explosion!'**

**Virgo looked up and put her arms out. The ceiling reappeared above but the shaking continued. Soon enough, this ceiling also broke down.**

**"It's no use." Lucy said. "This isn't working."**

**Vigo shrugged. "There seems to be nothing I can do in this situation. My apologies, princess." And then she disappeared.**

**"Wait!" Lucy shouted. "Ugh, way to help." She said sarcastically. **

**More rocks were falling. More screams were coming from the people of 'Night Star'. Lucy knew she had to do something.**

**"Open, gate of-" She started, but then huge boulder fell on top of her head and she blacked out.**

**a.a.a.**

**In her sleep, she dreamed. But it wasn't one of her regular dreams. **

**It started out with just seeing abstract objects and random faces she couldn't make out. Then, all of a sudden, she saw herself running through a dark tunnel. Her eyes were wide and she looked terrified.**

**A man appeared, but she couldn't tell who it was. She ran into his arms and he hugged her, comforting her and stoking her back. She felt warm and protected.**

**But then, there was the sound of an explosion and the man fell back. As he hit the floor, she could see his face clearly.**

**It was… _Natsu._**

**a.a.a.**

**Lucy's eyes shot open and she sat up. Then she remembered: She had to save these people. **

**Lucy then realized she was still stuck under this boulder. She struggled to get free, but it wasn't doing any good. **

**She couldn't save all these people. She just couldn't.**

**a.a.a.**

**Natsu's fist finally broke through the floor and he looked down. There were people tied up and Lucy was stuck under a huge rock. **

**"Lucy!" he yelled and jumped down. He pushed the boulder until it finally rolled off of her. **

**Lucy looked up warily. "Mm, Natsu?" she mumbled.**

**Natsu knelt down and picked her up. "I have to et us out of here." He muttered. **

**Bracing himself, he jumped up a pillar and started climbing, still carrying Lucy in his arms. When they got to the top, he set her down.**

**Suddenly, she sprang up. "No! Natsu, I have to save those people! Azerath is going to drop a bomb on them!"**

**_"What?" _Natsu said, a crease of worry forming on his forehead. **

**Just then, there was a huge explosion and the sound of screams.**

**_"No!" _Lucy screamed, tears in her eyes. She dropped to her knees and looked down at the fire and dead bodies.**

**She had promised to protect them. And she broke that promise… **


	8. Smile

**(Has anyone seen the Fairy Tail movie poster? If not, look it up on google images and find the one with Natsu hugging Lucy. A scene in this chapter is based off that picture)**

**8. Smile**

** "I… I swore I would p-protect them." Lucy said in between sobs. She covered her face with her hands.**

** "Luce, it's okay." Natsu said, looking concerned. "You did nothing wrong. There was nothing anyone could have done about it."**

** When Lucy cried even harder, Natsu sighed and looked up. Happy had gone to look for an exit. Was that a bad idea? What if he got hurt?**

** "Natsu," Lucy whispered, her voice much more calm. He turned to face her. "Why are you forgiving me? Why are you trying to make me feel better? Why… why do you always do things for me?"**

** Natsu narrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Because," he started. "You're…" he trailed off, trying to think of something to say. He was going to say that Lucy was his friend, but she seemed more important than just a friend. What was Lucy to him?**

** "Well," he tried again. "You're really important to me." He sat down beside her. "I don't like seeing you blame yourself for this."**

** Lucy looked up at him and smiled sadly. "Thanks, Natsu." Her lower lip wobbled and she burst into tears once more. Why was she crying? Natsu was being so nice to her. But, for some reason, that almost made it worse. **

** Suddenly, Natsu grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. Lucy widened her eyes, but tears continued to come out. So, she grabbed his scarf and cried into his shoulder.**

**a.a.a.**

** "You know, Luce," Natsu said, a tiny smile on his lips. "Even I wouldn't have been able to save them. And I'm **_**amazing. **_**And **_**strong!**_**"**

** He showed off his muscles, looking like an idiot. **

** Lucy giggled through her tears. "Natsu, you… you're so stupid." She was then full-on laughing and she whipped her tears away.**

** "Hey!" Natsu yelled, offended. He playfully shoved Lucy and she pressed up against the wall, still laughing.**

** "But, it's the truth!" she gave a huge grin and Natsu smiled back. **

** "I'm glad you're back to normal." He said, looking into your eyes. "You're best with a smile on your face."**

** Lucy felt her cheeks get hot. "Um…" she said. "Thanks." It seemed like Natsu's face was getting closer and closer to hers. Was he going to kiss her? For some reason, she didn't mind at all. **

** Lucy closed her eyes instinctively leaned in a bit. **

** "There you are!" **

** Lucy screamed and leapt away from Natsu. Natsu put a hand behind his head awkwardly. Happy stood in front of them, looking confused.**

** "What's wrong guys? What did I miss?"**

_**More than you can imagine, **_**Lucy thought.**


	9. Escape

9. Escape

** As they walked down a long hall, Lucy was aware that Happy was blabbing on about something, but it seemed both Natsu and Lucy weren't listening.**

** She couldn't stop thinking about when they were in that room. Clearly, that was a misunderstanding. They were both sad and were simply trying to comfort each other. It wasn't like it meant anything more… right?**

** Natsu was suddenly more aware of Lucy. He noticed the slight blush still on her rosy cheeks. He could tell the way she fiddled with her hair when she was nervous or uncomfortable. And he noticed how pretty she looked when she was bashful.**

** Wait. What the hell was he thinking? He sighed and continued to walk forward. They were friends. Nothing more than friends.**

** "Guys! Were you even listening to a word I just said?" Happy complained. **

** Lucy automatically snapped back to reality. "Oh. Um, sorry." She said in barely a whisper.**

** Happy studied their faces. "You guys have been acting really weird. What's going on?"**

** Natsu faked a grin. "What are you talking about? We're fine. I'm a little hungry, though." As if on cue, his stomach growled.**

** Happy laughed. "Oh, Natsu…"**

** Lucy sighed in relief. That was a close one. When Happy looked away, Natsu gave Lucy a little wink. Her heart stopped. A wink? What was that supposed to mean?**

** "Um, so, what's our plan?" Lucy asked. Happy turned toward them again.**

** "I found a place we can escape. It's… well, I'll show you where it is." He answered.**

** Lucy looked confused. "How will escaping help anything? We have to _stop _them. Or our guild could be next…" she cringed at the thought.**

** Happy simply kept flying. "I know that. But we really can't do much. You saw what happened with 'Phantom Lord'. Fights between guilds are forbidden. So what they're doing is also a crime. Right now, all we can do is get the council to disband them or arrest the Master."**

** Lucy was in shock. "Um… Happy, did you just say something smart? That didn't involve fish?"**

** Happy looked offended. "Are you saying I'm not smart?"**

** Suddenly, the building started shaking. "W-what's going on?" Lucy asked, covering her hands. They weren't planning on blowing _them _up, were they? "Oh my god…" she whispered.**

** "You're plan is not going to work." A girl's voice whispered. **

** A deep chuckle was heard from the other side of the room. **

** All of a sudden, the whole room was filled with people. Was this the entire guild? Why were they suddenly showing up now?**

** "Because you're going to die." All the people said in unison.**

**a.a.a.**

** Erza and Gray stepped through the guild doors. "We're back."**

** Master Makarov looked distressed. Erza walked over to him. "Is something wrong?"**

** He heaved out a sigh. "I sent Natsu, Lucy, and Happy on a quest to see if they could find a dark guild called 'Azerath'. I still haven't heard from them, and… well, _this _happened today."**

** With shaky hands, he handed Erza the newspaper. On the front page was a headline that read, "Bombing coming from underground: Witnesses think it could be Azerath.**

** Erza's eyes widened. "So you mean… you think they were…?" she trailed off, still in shock.**

** He shook his head. "I don't know. But I have an idea for a way we can find out."**

**a.a.a.**

** Natsu narrowed his eyes. "Who the hell are you?"**

**"We are the guild 'Azerath'. And you're going to die." A voice explained. Then there was a sigh. "Honestly… how many times do we have to explain it before you idiots get it?"**

** Natsu put an arm around Lucy's shoulders protectively. "You stay away from us." He growled.**

** "And why would we do that?" a man stepped forward. "We won't let you damned Fairy Tail wizards disband our guild. Got it?"**

** Lucy looked right at them. "But... what you're doing is illegal. You will get arrested anyway if they find out."**

** "But they _won't. _We'll kill you and then you can't tell all your little guild friends where we are." The man said.**

** Lucy shivered. His face was close to theirs and his voice was one that seemed to say. "Don't mess with me." His eyes made him look like he was out for blood. **

** And he probably was.**

** She looked over at Happy desperately. She wished he would have told them where the exit was. They needed to get out of there. Now.**

** "Stop it this instant." A voice said. Everyone turned around to see dust floating around. Lucy knew there was a person, but she couldn't properly see their face.**

** When the dust disappeared, Lucy's shocked expression morphed into one of hope.**

** Before them stood a familiar figure. Lucy smiled wide. "Erza!"**


	10. Freedom

10. Freedom

** "Erza! What are you doing here?" Lucy asked, puzzled. **

** Erza gave them a small smile. "Master wanted me to check on you. We're going to escape and get these people arrested." She pulled out a sward and pointed it at the people of 'Azerath.**

** Natsu grinned. "Don't worry, Luce. We'll get out for sure. I won't let you die."**

** Lucy laughed. "I wouldn't want you to die either, Natsu."**

** Azerath wasn't giving up without a fight… but neither was Erza. **

** Happy looked straight ahead. "We can't let Erza do this all by herself. We have to fight with her."**

** Lucy nodded determinedly and Natsu had that devious grin on his face. They rushed forward and started fighting Azerath.**

** Natsu did a fire attack and a man dodged it. The two continued to fight to a standstill.**

** Lucy called out Aries who did a wool bomb attack and two girls got caught up it, then collapsed.**

** Erza took on three people at once and it looked like she was winning.**

** Even though Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were all beaten up, that didn't stop them. They had to get out of there. And they had to stop Azerath.**

** Natsu knocked out the man with one last punch and two more people came springing forward. But it was no use. Natsu took them down in no time.**

** Lucy smiled. They were doing great! **

** Until _he _came. They all heard it. The drone of a helicopter. Lucy shuddered at the memory. She knew that sound. The guild master was here.**

** Erza seemed to know it too. "Master Tenzo…" she whispered.**

** A man with a long black beard stepped through the doors. "What's all this ruckus about?" he asked, looking annoyed.**

** A girl stepped forward. "Wizards from Fairy Tail are trying to get us arrested, Master!"**

** Tenzo only chuckled. "And?"**

** "Well…" the girl continued, running a hand through her brown hair. "It's just that… they're strong."**

** Tenzo narrowed his eyebrows. "What did you just say?"**

** The girl stepped back. "I…"**

** "You just said they're strong. You know the rules, Hazuki. That is a crime in this guild. It means you're weak. You never admit that the enemy is strong."**

** Hazuki got down on her knees and bowed. "I know. F-forgive me, Master!"**

** But it was too late. Tenzo reached out his arm and dark magic energy swirled around. "Repent for your sins, Hazuki. You are no longer allowed in my sight. Be gone!"**

** The magic came towards her at an incredible speed. Her scream could be heard from miles away. Lucy squeezed her eyes shut as a drop of blood hit the ground.**

** When Hazuki's body was drained, Tenzo snapped and the girl's body vanished.**

** It was too much for Lucy to take. Hazuki was an enemy to them, but no one deserved _that. _**

** Natsu, Erza, and Happy seemed to feel the same way. But it wasn't just them.**

** Another girl from Azerath stepped forward. She resembled Hazuki a lot. "No!" she screamed, tears dripping from her face. "Hazuki! My sister!"**

** Erza's eyes narrowed. "How could you do that, you heartless bastard?" her fist clenched and she switched armor. **

** Lucy pulled out her keys. "That's right! She didn't do anything wrong! This is ridiculous!" **

** Tenzo glared at them. "You want to be next, you brats?"**

** Natsu just slanted his eyes. "I don't care! I'll never forgive you for treating people this way. It's just not right."**

** This seemed to make Tenzo angrier. "Then come! If Hazuki wasn't enough to show you that I'm undefeatable, then I'll kill each one of you until you get the message. Starting with Blondie."**

** Lucy gasped and backed away. Suddenly, she was in a sort of bubble and was floating towards Tenzo. "No!" she tried to scream, but she couldn't find her voice. She felt sleepy. She felt weak.**

** As her head slumped down, she heard Natsu scream, "Lucy!" This seemed to wake her up. Her eyes snapped open and she scrambled around, trying to find a way to get out of the bubble. **

** All of a sudden, it disappeared and Lucy fell to the floor. When she looked up, she realized it was because Natsu was now fighting Master Tenzo. He was stronger than she had ever seen him before.**

** But it wasn't just Natsu. Erza sprang forward and Happy grabbed onto Natsu, flying him around when needed. Even Hazuki's sister joined in.**

** Lucy stood and brushed herself off. She called out Sagittarius and grabbed her whip. **

** This meant payback. They were going to escape. They were going to be free.**

**a.a.a.**

** After about 20 minutes, they had finally managed to defeat Master Tenzo. By the end, most of the guild was joining in. As it turned out, the members were also against his rules, but were too afraid to say anything.**

** Natsu, Lucy, Erza, and Happy stood there panting. Natsu laughed. "We… did it."**

** They limped out the door and were finally outside. Lucy sighed in relief. "Ugh, it feels like forever since I've felt fresh air."**

** Erza nodded. "It was a tough fight today, but we did it. Now, we just have to get them arrested by the council."**

** As they walked further, Lucy smiled and looked over at Natsu. They won the fight, but she felt she had won something more.**

***This is the last chapter, but there will be an epilogue***


	11. Epilogue: Home Sweet Home

Epilogue: home sweet home

**Lucy, Natsu, Erza, and Happy walked through the guild later that day.**

**Master Makarov looked up at them and widened his eyes. Then he broke out in a huge grin. "You made it back, huh? What happened?"**

**Natsu stepped forward. "It's a log story, but… we got the guild master arrested. So, everything should be fine now." **

**Makarov shook his head. "Honestly… you had me worried, idiots. Never do something so stupid ever again."**

**Lucy laughed. "Not that we would want to."**

**a.a.a.**

**Everyone at the guild was having a celebration due to their safe return, and Lucy stepped outside. She walked over to the river and looked up at the sky. She couldn't believe that they had made it home.**

**"What are you doing out here, weirdo?" **

**Lucy jumped and turned around to face Natsu. "I could ask you the same thing."**

**Natsu chuckled. "Why aren't you out there enjoying the party? After all, you _are _one of the hero's who made it home." He grinned jokingly.**

**Lucy laughed. "Hero? That's a little extreme. And I just wanted to get some fresh air."**

**Natsu sat down beside her. "Lucy…" he started.**

**Lucy blushed and urged him to continue. "Y-yeah?"**

**"You're such a freak."**

**"Gee, thanks!" Lucy practically screamed.**

**"But even so," Natsu said again. "I-"**

**"Natsu!"**

**They turned to see Lisanna running towards them. She stopped and looked at Natsu. "Master wants to see you. He said he had to ask you a few questions." Then she ran off back to the guild.**

**Natsu turned toward Lucy again. He was… blushing. Lucy widened her eyes. She had never seen Natsu really _blush _before.**

**"But even so," Natsu started once more. "I… like being with you."**

**He leaned in and planted a small kiss on her cheek. Then he ran off into the guild. **

**Lucy was too shocked to do anything. She stood their frozen, her hand placed on the cheek Natsu had kissed just moments ago.**

**Then she smiled. "Natsu…" she whispered, even though she knew no one could hear. "I love you." **

**THE END**

**This story was really fun to write, so thanks to all my veiwers! Please check out my future NaLu stories**


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